This blog is a series of posts by Allan Wright, owner of Zephyr Adventures. Allan will post once every few weeks or months about his travels and Zephyr's tours. Zephyr Adventures runs inline skating, wine, trekking, self-guided, and family vacations on four continents. To be emailed each time Allan posts a new entry, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zephyrtours.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

The Inca Trail - A Woman's Perspective

A few days ago I received an email from a Zephyr traveler, Cathy, who was wondering about our Peru trip on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. She had questions about the camping, since she "very much dislikes camping". I thought about this and decided I was not the person to answer her, since I enjoy backpacking and sleeping in the woods. Instead, I recruited my girlfriend Devon, who grew up on Long Island far from any camping destinations but nevertheless loved our Peru trip this past April. Here is Devon's email to Cathy:

Hi Cathy,

Great to hear from you! I’m so glad that Allan told you to contact me,because I can completely relate to all of your concerns. Before I wentto Peru, the idea of camping seemed extremely daunting to me. My idea ofa fun vacation has always included good, strenuous activity followed bya nice, hot shower and a big, clean bed with a warm blanket.

Well, I want you to know that trekking on the Inca Trail was definitelythe highlight of my year! Our group was made up of about 13 Zephyrcustomers and 27 porters. The porters carried everything, set up ourtents, and cooked and served our meals. The only things we carried wereour water, snacks, and rain jacket. Our days were filled with greathiking, beautiful scenery, and interesting discussions. Each afternoon,when we arrived at the campsite, our tents were pitched and an afternoonsnack was being prepared. Each tent had a tarp underneath it, a tarpinside it, and two nice pads to cushion our sleeping bags. The tentswere very high-quality. There was an entrance on either side and thezippers were extremely easy to open and close.

In addition, the staff pitched a cooking tent, a dining tent, and abathroom tent. The dining tent, which zipped closed on both sides, had along table and chair for each of us! We would all huddle in there toplay cards and chat before and after dinner, so when it was cold, wenever had to stay outside. Also, there was always a variety of hotbeverages and soups to keep us warm.

The nights did get cold, so I slept in long underwear, a fleece, a downjacket, and two pairs of socks. Some nights, I even slept in my fleecehat, and gloves! Because the porters carry your bag all day, you don’thave to worry about packing too many clothes, as long as you stay withinthe weight restriction.

As far as sleeping is concerned, most people slept very well, since theyhad physically exhausted their bodies each day. I don’t remember havingany problems sleeping.

Getting up in the middle of the night was not a problem. The Peruvianguides insist that you keep your shoes inside the tent, so as long asyou have your headlamp or flashlight to guide you, it is quick and easyto jump out and then back in the tent. I personally prefer the woods tothe bathroom tents, so I did not bother walking over to the bathroomtent. When it is dark, in the middle of the night, and no one is around,it’s safe to walk just a few feet away from your tent and find a good spot.

I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised when I realized thatthe trek involves “luxury camping.” Despite not having a shower or areal bed, I didn’t really feel that we were roughing it. The hiking andthe views were so spectacular that I don’t remember missing any modern“comforts.” We were served three hot meals (and one snack) each day, wedidn’t have to carry anything heavy, and the Peruvian staff was sofriendly and accommodating.

I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other specificquestions or if there is something that I forgot to address. (Definitelytake diamox to prevent altitude sickness in Cuzco and on the trek!)

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About the Author

Allan Wright is the president of Zephyr Adventures and has been creating active vacations since 1997. Zephyr runs trekking, skating, wine, family, and self-guided trips around the world. Allan frequently travels the world, both running Zephyr's trips and researching locations for new adventures.